Judge not, lest...etc. and movies

So, I have another admission to make. I promise this one isn't about poop. The upcoming Super Bowl has inspired me to finally admit to everyone what I've known, deep down, for a long time. I don't care about the Super Bowl. I don't care whether or not the Packers make it into the playoffs. In fact, I don't really care much about football, or the Packers, or any other professional sport or sports team.

Now, don't misinterpret me. I'm not trying to be elitist or "un-American" or blah blah blah anything else. If you care about the Super Bowl and every sport and sports team to ever exist, that's great. More power to you. You've found something to care about, and that's awesome. But, for me, I just am not, in any smidgen of my brain, interested. I like going to live sporting events, but that's more for people watching purposes than because I actually care about what happens on the field. I just don't get the appeal. To sit and watch other people playing a game. Its the same with poker or billiards or darts or any other game that other people play that people watch on TV. I'd rather PLAY the game than watch other people play it. And, if I'm going to be watching TV, I'd rather watch Food Network, or the History Channel, or a good movie or something.

Speaking of good movies, I've seen a few lately that are worth mentioning. First and foremost in my head: Brick. Oh my goodness. I haven't LOVED a movie like I LOVE this movie in a long time. Ok, plot synopsis: High school loner gets a frantic call from an ex-girlfriend asking for help. When she turns up dead a couple days later, said high school loner delves into the dark high-school drug world to solve the mystery of her death. Sounds ok, but kinda cheesy, right? Wrong! It's done as kind of an homage to the old "film noir" movies of the 40's. The characters speak in the snappy lingo of the old detective movies, and there are even a couple Maltese Falcon (possibly one of the best film noir movies) tips-of-the-hat. The guy who played the kid in 3rd Rock From the Sun plays the loner in this movie, and does a fantastic job. Also, an appearance by Lucas Haas as the 26 year old local drug lord, who still lives in his mother's basement and gets served orange juice while he plots his dastardly deeds.

Next: A Scanner Darkly. Richard Linklater does a film adaptation of PK Dick's sci-fi book, and does an excellent job of it. Although, I believe most of the credit should go post-mortem, to PK Dick for the actual concept of the movie, Linklater's interpretation of it is excellent (what with the animated live actors and such). Plot synopsis for this one: In the near future, a staggering percent of the population is hooked on the illegal drug, Substance D. Bob Arctor is an undercover drug agent who lives a double life, living among Substance D users, and being a user himself, while still working to aprehend Substance D users. When he's asked to monitor his own friends and himself (which he can do, because his role as an agent is kept secret from his friends, and who he is outside work is kept secret from his co-workers via a "scramble suit.") he becomes increasingly paranoid and detatched from reality. Keanu Reeves plays Arctor (yet another baffled, somewhat detatched sci fi character for him to play) with a great supporting cast of Robert Downy Jr., Woody Harleson, Rory Cochran, and Winona Ryder playing his group of Substance D using friends. While this seems like a cautionary tale against the horrors of drug use (which it certainly looks like), I would argue it's cautioning more against being ignorant of society and the "cures" they push upon us. I can't say more without giving away the story.

Next up: Little Miss Sunshine. Admittedly, this is a little bit of gumdrops and rainbows, with a counterculture wrapper, but it was still well done and, to be honest, I felt happy after watching it, so that's something. Plot synopsis: When ugly duckling, Olive, gets into the Little Miss Sunshine pagent in California after the first candidate is forced to drop out, Olive's family goes on a cross country road trip to get her to California by the day of the pagent. Olive's family, it is worth mentioning, consists of her mom, who is desperately trying to keep everyone together, her father, who is desperately trying to "make it big" in the self-help world with his ingenious system of "9 steps," her uncle Frank, the #1 Proust scholar in the country, who recently tried to commit suicide after his boyfriend left him for the #2 Proust scholar in the country, her coke snorting, but very supportive grandpa, and her angsty older brother, who 9 months ago had taken a vow of silence after reading Neitsche. Great acting all around, with a basic message of "do what you love, and who cares about people who will judge you." Like I said, sunshine and puppy dogs, with a counterculture wrapper.

Honorable mention: Inside Man. I liked it. Spike Lee did a good job, as did Denzel and Clive Owen and Jodi Foster. I just don't feel like typing a whole lot about it. The end.